WASHINGTON (AP) — Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss announced Friday he will not seek a third term next year, saying "this is about frustration" with Washington gridlock that he doesn't see changing in a divided government.
"After much contemplation and reflection, I have decided not to run for re-election to the Senate in 2014," the 69-year-old Chambliss said in a statement.
The lawmaker rejected suggestions he couldn't have survived a likely GOP primary fight with the tea party, insisting he has a proud conservative record and noting he received more votes than any other statewide official in Georgia history in 2008.
Instead, he cited his dismay with both Democratic President Barack Obama and the lack of meaningful legislation in Congress, especially in addressing the nation's economic woes.
"The debt-ceiling debacle of 2011 and the recent fiscal-cliff vote showed Congress at its worst, and sadly, I don't see the legislative gridlock and partisan posturing improving anytime soon," Chambliss said. "For our nation to be strong, for our country to prosper, we cannot continue to play politics with the American economy."
His strong words of disappointment echoed those of former Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe, who also complained about the partisan divide and Washington dysfunction in announcing she wouldn't run again last year.
Chambliss, 69, has been a GOP loyalist for much of his House and Senate career, but he earned the wrath of some in his party for participating in a bipartisan Senate "Gang of Six" intent on finding a way to reduce the deficit. The group advocated a mix of tax increases, anathema to many in the GOP, and spending cuts. But the group failed to reach agreement and produce a bargain.
"Leadership is about taking risks when you don't have to. That's why I respect Saxby Chambliss for his willingness to partner with me and other members of what became known as the Gang of Six as we worked for bipartisan solutions on debt and deficits," said Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va.
Although no major Republican candidate had announced a challenge to Chambliss, he was facing the distinct possibility of a tough race. His decision was certain to set off a GOP scramble for the seat.
Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., an 11-term House veteran, said he was considering seeking the seat. Kingston, 57, said his knowledge of defense and agriculture, important issues in Georgia, would help him in a race.
"Regardless of what happens, it's going to be a 10-person race," Kingston said in a telephone interview from Israel, where he was traveling with other lawmakers. "And I think you'll probably have a self-funder in there, and you can have a mad scramble."
Among other potential Republican candidates is four-term Rep. Tom Price from a district north of Atlanta.
Other possible Republican candidates are two other House members — Reps. Paul Broun and Phil Gingrey, both physicians. Broun gained national attention last year when he described evolution as a lie "from the pit of Hell." Gingrey claimed the spotlight earlier this month when he defended controversial statements about abortion made last year by failed Missouri Senate hopeful Todd Akin.
Chambliss was first elected to the House in the 1994 Republican wave. He moved up to the Senate after a bruising 2002 campaign in which he defeated Democratic incumbent Max Cleland, a triple amputee from his Vietnam war service.
He was criticized for a slashing campaign against Cleland that included an ad, featuring terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden and Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, criticizing the Democrat — a decorated Vietnam War veteran — for his record on defense and homeland security issues. Even some of Chambliss' fellow Republicans said it went too far.
Guy Cecil, executive director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said Democrats will try to win back the seat.
"Georgia will now offer Democrats one of our best pick-up opportunities of the cycle," Cecil said. "There are already several reports of the potential for a divisive primary that will push Republicans to the extreme right. Regardless, there's no question that the demographics of the state have changed, and Democrats are gaining strength. This will be a top priority."
Democrats hold a 55-45 advantage in the Senate but will be defending more seats next year — 20 to the GOP's 13. Democrats will be scrambling to hold onto the seat in GOP-leaning West Virginia, where five-term Democratic Sen. Jay Rockefeller recently announced he would not seek re-election. Republican Rep. Shelley Moore Capito is running for the Senate seat.
Democratic incumbents also face tough re-election races in Arkansas, Louisiana, Montana, North Carolina and Alaska — all states that went Republican in the last presidential election.
An open seat in Georgia, which has trended Republican, presents a legitimate opportunity for Democrats, especially if the GOP faces a divisive primary. Potential Democratic candidates are conservative Rep. John Barrow, who has survived redistricting in his House races, and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed.
Pizza mogul Herman Cain, the failed presidential candidate in 2012 and a tea party favorite, said he would not seek the seat but rather focus on his radio show.
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Associated Press writers Andrew Taylor and Alan Fram in Washington and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report.
